Countdown
by Gemmaaaaa
Summary: Just over twenty three hours… That's what the device claims is the time she must wait before setting eyes on her soulmate. In the grand scheme of things, the time is nothing, a mere blink of an eye before her life theoretically changes forever.


_**A/N: This is a prompt from "Candyasmr"! Who says I never get around to the prompts you guys send me? This is slightly AU I suppose… I mean, at the barest minimum there is. Enjoy, and please leave a review letting me know what you think!**_

 _ **The prompt: "**_ _ **Have you heard of the soulmate-identifying timer? In the off chance you haven't heard of it (and I'll be legitimately surprised if you haven't - it's everywhere these days) basically it is a timer that is often on someone's wrist that counts down to the point that the person meets his or her soulmate. Imagine Padme having hers at a "worldly" 14 having hers only to have it stop when she meets a strange little boy several years younger than herself. She is certain it is broken."**_

 _ **I changed it just a little so I hope you don't mind.**_

It's only when the Gungan, Jar-Jar she believes, has left her alone with the brave little droid that Padme dares look at it again. It's been agony ignoring it all day, but the matters at hand are far more important than her silly curiosity. She wonders if it's changed, if it's higher or lower now… Keeping focused on Naboo's fate has been far more difficult than it should be; part of her mind wants nothing more than her to simply stare at the damned thing. It's irresponsible, she is the Queen, nothing but their journey to Coruscant and her visit to the Senate should be on her mind… And yet she can barely focus on any of that. Finally, now she is alone again, save for a pilot or two behind her, Padme feels she can allow herself a moment to glance at it. Pulling up the tight red sleeve of the burnt orange and yellow handmaiden's dress she's disguised herself in, she reveals her wrist to dark brown eyes and the sight of the silver accessory spikes her nerves to new heights.

This is completely nonsensical, she knows well what it says, and yet her eyes are desperate to read the numbers just once more.

The sleek piece of silver technology fastened around her wrist is perhaps the worst gift Padme has ever received. She can still remember Sola's grin is she handed over the parcel, a present for her thirteenth birthday while her parents watched on, equally amused. "It'll help you know when to settle down!" Her sister had laughed, while her mother hummed in agreement. Of course, she appreciated the sentiment, but Padme was as aware then as she is now, that there are other, more important things in this world than something as selfish as love. Her time in the Legislative Youth Program taught her this, and her time as Queen has only reinforced the lesson. Now more so than ever as the fate or her people weigh heavily on her mind.

Soulmate timers are a must have for those who can afford them in this day and age… The enjoyment of mystery in romance has long since died in favour of _knowing_ the day you shall meet your true love. Every girl she knows has one and one or two boys too, though mostly they are more content to be found rather than find for themselves. She sees her handmaidens giggling over the watches from time to time but makes no effort to join their conversations.

She wouldn't know what to say if she _did_ try…

 _23:08:45_

Just over twenty three hours… That's what the device claims is the time she must wait before setting eyes on her soulmate. In the grand scheme of things, the time is nothing, a mere blink of an eye before her life theoretically changes forever. There are stories, of these devices being wrong, of miscalculating or malfunctioning and Padme wonders briefly if that's what's happening now. How can she possibly be less than twenty-four hours away from meeting her soulmate while her planet is being held by the Trade Federation? She is on her way to plead with the Senate, not fall in love!

The time Padme has served as Queen has made her feel… Distant from others her own age. She doesn't know how to speak to them about matters not involving politics, or how to mingle with them as any normal teenager would. She _is not_ a normal teenage girl anymore. She is a _Queen._ Just as she doesn't know how to speak to people her own age, they do not know how to speak to her either. It's a cold wall of separation that she has never managed to break through before. Sometimes, she catches herself wondering what life is like on the other side of it… A life where people are not flanked by handmaidens or security teams… Where her time is her own, free to spend as she wishes. The life of Padme Naberrie, she remembers it well. Alas it is her calling to be Padme Amidala, Queen of Naboo and it is a calling she gladly answers. The differences between the life she leads and the life Sola lives are vast, as close as they are as sisters, they are almost nothing alike. She's always hearing of Sola going out on dates, and seeing her friends meanwhile Padme sits on a throne and worries over the security of their planet.

She knows well that her parents wish she'd settle down to find love and begin a quieter life, and part of her wishes her life could resemble her sister's somewhat, but deep down she knows she would never be happy if she weren't doing all the good she possibly can while she has the ability to do it.

What makes the least sense about the countdown is that their current destination is not even Coruscant where perhaps, it is _somewhat_ believable her true love may be, but _Tattooine_ … A planet ruled by gangsters, filled with criminals and unspeakable activities. How is it _possible_ someone so important to her future may be there?

R2D2's chirping breaks Padme out of her thoughts, and she smiles at the droid. If it was not for him, they would all have been destroyed and Gods only know what would have happened to Naboo… She – and the people of her planet – owe this droid a lot. Placing the now filthy cloth off to the side, Padme watches the little thing rotate his head twice before settling down… She'll keep him. There's work for him somewhere in her household, she is sure. Who knows what kind of uses such a brave droid could have one day?

* * *

Thankfully, unlike their departure from Naboo, their arrival on the sand planet is smooth and uninterrupted. They all pray it is not the quiet before the storm. Standing behind Sabe who sits on the throne she herself should be on, Padme wonders if she should feel relieved at their arrival, or perhaps worried about what dangers this planet may hold for them. Instead, now that they've landed, all she feels is curiosity. Even in the sight of the two Jedi and her Captain, she wants to look at the watch again. They've been flying all night, so she wonders how long the countdown has left. Hours? Minutes?

It's only when she, her decoy and handmaidens are left alone, that Padme reaches up to push back the hood of the dress, freeing her hair and steps away from the others. The Jedi cannot _possibly_ expect to be left to do this on their own. She won't have it! Anything could be out there amongst the sand, waiting for them, and they want her to simply remain on the ship and wait. Padme has never dealt well with _waiting._ And she especially doesn't do well with others doing the hard work for her.

"I'm going out there with them." She declares loudly, stepping toward the small compressed wardrobe in the corner, relieved to find commoner clothing hidden inside. A wise suggestion from her security, she's learning fast that disguises are wonderful things.

"You cannot be serious my lady! It's dangerous! The Jedi are right we-" Sabe begins, and one or two of the others nod their agreement. She respects their opinions, and perhaps they are right but she cannot stay on this ship. Padme is the _Queen_ , and she _will_ be involved in every aspect of this mission despite the dangers. Besides… She cannot say she _isn't_ curious about what – or who – may be out there…

"I am the Queen and I am going. Sabe inform Captain Panaka of my – of _your –_ decision and that I shall meet him on my way to disembark."

She leaves no room for discussion after her command, quickly exiting the room to find a private space to change her clothing. She must be fast, the Jedi, Gui-gon Jinn is already on his way out, and she doesn't wish to slow his progress further by taking longer than necessary to prepare herself. The sooner they have the parts necessary to repair the ship, the sooner she can go before the Senate and plead for their help. A small part of Padme thinks, the sooner she can get off of the ship, the sooner she can see just what Tattooine has to offer…

Perhaps the watch is right? The traitorous part of her mind wonders quietly.

* * *

Master Gui-gon isn't happy about her presence; Padme doesn't need to be Force sensitive to understand this. His body language makes it quite clear he believes she is a burden, something he must endure to appease the Queen while they're trapped out here. Well, she shall prove him wrong, she'll be invaluable to this little group they've formed, he'll see. They walk – or in R2's case, glide – through the sand silently, all lost in their own thoughts, ignoring the occasional tripping of Jar Jar or his muttered comments about the sand.

Once or twice she looks at the Jedi and thinks, _if only you knew…_ He'd treat her less like a child if he knew she is the one he is here to protect in the first place. He treats Sabe like a grown _woman,_ and Padme as if she's nothing more than a spoiled teenager. It's irritating, but she is nothing if not patient. Eventually, when the time is right, he shall see the truth and look back on this and cringe at his behaviour, of that she is sure.

The heat on this planet is intense; it's a heavy weight pushing down on her body, making it difficult to keep up with the others at times. Once or twice she opens her mouth to ask for a break, but fights against it… She _will not_ be a burden! If R2 and Jar-Jar can keep up, then so can she. How can people live here? Padme has never longed for the cool waters of Naboo's lakes more in her entire life… The heat is oppressive, and she's tempted to claw off the coarse clothes she's adopted to be free of it even a little bit.

Once again, as more of a distraction from the heat than anything else, Padme finds herself looking at the watch. The sight of it almost makes her heart leap up, into her throat. They're inside the small town now, but this can't possibly be right! Perhaps the sand has somehow gotten inside the device and is messing with its systems? For several long moments, her eyes can't tear themselves away from the ever lowering length of time displayed on the small screen.

00:06:21

Six minutes… It's not possible. She _cannot_ possibly be six minutes away from meeting her _soulmate_. Not here in the middle of this desert wasteland, unless her true love is a pile of sand that is. With a frustrated huff, she tugs her sleeve back down again and swears to every God she's ever heard of that she will not look at the dammed thing again until they are off of this rock. Everything here is so different to Naboo, its clear the people running the stalls they pass have very little to their names, and the slaves following along behind their masters even less. It's nothing like the flourishing marketplaces of Theed, ripe with colour and prosperity.

All around her there are different species of people, even some she has never set eyes on before and it's strange… None of this feels like it's truly happening. It feels like an odd dream she can't wake up from. As they walk, she half-heartedly listens to Gui-gon talk about this place, how it's perfect for those who do not wish to be found to vanish, and instead breaking her earlier promise, pushing her sleeve higher up her arm once more to glance at the small screen again. Three minutes left… This time, instead of irritation, Padme merely smiles. It's broken, that much is obvious. She's hardly going to find the likes of _Palo_ here, is she?

Shame, her mother and sister were always so excited when they saw the timer getting lower as the days went on… Perhaps she'll get a new one when her home is secured once more. Behind her, she hears Gui-gon call on her to join him as he enters a junkshop. Good, he must have found a merchant who stocks the parts they need to begin the repairs. They have to leave this planet as soon as possible and get to Coruscant before the Trade Federation can cause more trouble than they already have. It's been ludicrous to indulge this device, now it's broken, Padme can't help but wonder just _what_ she's been thinking this whole time…

There is no room for _love_ in her life right now, perhaps one day there will be, but for now it isn't something she can waste her energy thinking about. Especially with silly Soulmate watches that break down like this… As if her true love could be _here_ , in Tattooine of all places! The mere thought of it has the young Queen shaking her head at her own foolishness for believing in such things even for a moment on the way here. Carefully, she unfastens the device from her wrist and holds it up to see the countdown again.

Thirty seconds.

Well she shan't waste another second on this, with one last smile she carefully tosses the watch into the nearest scrapheap outside the building and steps inside the rusty worn down mechanics store, hearing the owner call for a boy in the back as she steps inside. Now she's thrown it away, Padme can't believe she's wasted even a moment on such a faulty piece of technology. It's almost humorous really… She can't wait until her home is free once more to tell her mother all about it. For now, she watches Jar Jar fight a small droid and struggles not to shake her head at the Gungan's antics while Gui-gon speaks with the owner of the establishment.

"Are you an angel?"


End file.
